Eyes Set To Kill // Masks

Talent, unfortunately, isn't enough to 'make it'. Other than having good marketing and an unending drive to succeed, a band these days needs some way to make itself stand out. Thanks to groups like Evanescence, female-fronted metal bands are nothing new in popular music but Eyes Set To Kill have gone one better. The sister act of Alexia and Anissa heading up the Arizona four-piece make for interesting listening (and viewing no doubt). Although backed by two strapping young lads the girls are not merely eye candy brought on to wail at the front of the stage and get attention though. Alexia plays guitar and keyboard as well as providing lead vocals, while her sister is the bands bassist. No token pretty chicks for this group. 'Masks' is their first full-length through Century Media (home to goth metal stars Lacuna Coil and Paradise Lost no less). This, their fifth album, is a mix of melodic female vocals and, for the first time, male metal screaming. The riffs are heavy, the drums thundering, the vocals strong. Produced by Steve Evetts, who has worked with Sepultura in the past, undoubtedly help hone the staple metal sound, but front-woman Alexia has openly stated that she wanted to keep the music accessible, melodic and catchy. Rather than focus on making the sound as heavy as possible, or the guitar solos technical to the extreme, the group have produced an album designed to fit nicely into the current market and appeal to as many as possible. Fans of this kind of metal need look no further than ESTK. Each track is well written, produced and executed - a perfect example of this genre. Those hoping for something different to what's everywhere right now won't find it here.